by Laura Iding
Since Sheri had everything under control with Emma and Barton, Cassie swiped out of work fifteen minutes early, anxious to head straight out to her car. She was so focused on her mission that she didn’t hear her friend Gloria, who was leaving at the same time, call out to her.
“Cass? Wait up a minute,” Gloria said in a loud voice, sounding a tad annoyed.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude,” Cassie apologized. “I’m just in a hurry.” Cassie slowed down so Gloria could catch up. She tried not to glance at her watch, which would only broadcast her impatience.
“Ooh, does that mean you have a hot date?” Gloria teased.
Ryan’s face involuntarily flashed in her mind, even as she let out a sigh. “Don’t be silly, of course not.”
“Listen, Cass, I know your ex was a jerk, betraying you in the worst way possible, but locking yourself away from all men isn’t the answer. James was upset that you turned down his offer to take you out for dinner, but I’m sure he’d give you a second chance.”
Oh, boy. She so did not want to have this conversation, especially now. Obviously Gloria was trying to help, but there was no way Cassie was going to confess feelings for Ryan that she didn’t even understand herself. Dating anyone else was out of the question.
“Listen, Gloria, I’m not locking myself away from men. I can’t help the fact I’m not the least bit attracted to James. Please, don’t try to set me up with anyone else, either. I’ll find someone on my own when the time is right for me. Besides, I’m really running late, so let’s chat later, okay?” Without waiting for Gloria to respond, she quickened her step, using her key fob to unlock her car.
“Call me,” Gloria shouted as she slid behind the wheel.
Cassie quickly started her car and opened the windows to let the stuffy air out. “I will,” she called back, before putting the vehicle in Reverse and backing out of the parking space.
Cassie had to stop at her apartment to pick up a copy of her birth certificate and social security card. Since she was there, she decided to change out of her scrubs, donning a flowery skirt and short-sleeved top. Slipping her feet into comfy sandals, she headed back outside.
From her apartment, the drive to city hall didn’t take long. Cedar Bluff was crowded with tourists in the summer, but even then there wasn’t normally a rush-hour traffic problem.
She climbed out of her car and approached the building with all the paperwork clutched in her hand, struck by a feeling of trepidation. What if they immediately turned her down because she was single? What if they thought her apartment was too small to be an appropriate home for Emma? She planned on buying a small house, but needed to save some more money first.
“Cassandra, is something wrong?”
She jerked her head around at the sound of Ryan’s voice. For a moment she blinked, wondering if she was losing it. But, no, there he was, sexier than ever, wearing casual jeans and a well-worn ocean-blue T-shirt that brightened his already mesmerizing blue eyes. And she was suddenly relieved she’d changed out of her scrubs.
Had he really come there just for her?
“Um, no. Of course not.” She smiled, shoving her irrational doubts away. “But I’m surprised to see you. Is there something you need? Did I forget to document something in Emma’s chart?”
The corner of his mouth kicked up in a wry smile. “No, you didn’t forget anything. I’m thrilled she’s doing so well.” He hesitated and then shrugged. “It’s always better if I keep busy the day after I’m on call, otherwise I’m not able to sleep at night. I thought I’d meet you here in case you needed help.”
She was humbled by the idea that Ryan had come there for nothing more than to offer his support. Was it possible that little Emma had captured his heart, the same way she’d captured hers? She’d assumed that he didn’t date because he didn’t want a family. But after seeing the way he’d been with Emma, she knew that couldn’t be right. “That’s so nice of you.”
For a moment their gazes clung and the air sizzled with tension, but then he turned his head and gestured to the paperwork in her hand. “Do you need to finish up any of that paperwork before we go inside?”
It took her a minute for the synapses in her brain to fire on all cylinders. “Oh, no, I have it completed,” she assured him, pushing aside the temptation to have him go through everything as a double check. “But thanks.”
“No problem.”
The low timbre of his voice sent shivers down her spine, causing her to blush. Again. Seriously, she really needed to stop feeling like a young teenager around him. She’d been married, for heavens’ sake. And divorced.
The memory was sobering. Could she really trust another man not to hurt her the way Evan had? Her stomach clenched. A handsome, aloof doctor was not the best candidate.
But somehow Ryan didn’t seem as aloof around her.
“Are you ready?” Ryan asked, interrupting her tumultuous thoughts by placing his hand beneath her elbow.
“Of course.” She pulled herself together with an effort, taking the necessary steps to reach the front door of the building. Before she could open the door, Ryan was reaching around her to open it for her.
If anything, her blush deepened. “Thanks,” she said, entering the building and hoping the blessedly cool air-conditioning would help make the redness fade from her skin.
There were a couple of people ahead of her, so she took her place in line to wait her turn. Ryan stood right beside her, making her more conscious of his intimidating height and the breadth of his shoulders. Did he work out in a gym in his spare time? Feeling insecure, she sucked in her stomach, making a mental note to go for a run later that evening.
When it was her turn, she walked up to the counter and spread out her application, along with the documents she’d brought from home, for the woman to review.
But she was disappointed when the clerk simply gathered them together into a pile, without reading a word. “Thanks. We’ll get this processed and be in touch.”
Crestfallen, Cassie turned away, but Ryan didn’t.
“Good afternoon. I’m Dr. Ryan Murphy from Cedar Bluff Hospital and Cassie needs to know if there is anything she can do to speed up the process of becoming a foster parent. There’s a baby in my care that needs to be placed with her as soon as possible.”
The woman’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Um, I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. I’m just a clerk. I take the paperwork and file it as instructed.”
Cassie leaned forward, determined to stand up for herself, too. “Who is the person in charge, then? I need to talk to whoever that is.”
“Mr. Davies is in charge of the Child Protective Services department, but I’m afraid you’ll need an appointment.”
“Fine. Will you please give me his contact information?” Cassie asked.
The flustered clerk took out a card and scribbled Mr. Davies’s name and number on the back. “Here you go. He’s probably already gone today, but I believe he’ll be back in the office on Monday.”
Cassie took the card and nodded. “Thank you.” She turned and headed back outside, feeling foolish for having built her hopes up over nothing.
“Well, that was a bit anticlimactic,” Cassie said with a wry smile. “But thanks for coming anyway, Dr.—er…Ryan.”
Ryan’s smile made her tummy flip-flop again. “Spending time with you is never anticlimactic,” he assured her in his deep voice. “I want you to let me know if Mr. Davies doesn’t get back to you. I’m willing to put on the heat if needed.”
“Thanks, but I’ll get through to him.” Cassie was determined to get this accomplished on her own, even though it was nice to have Ryan cheering her on.
She was heading toward the parking lot when she caught a glimpse of the cane woman.
Her hand shot out to grasp Ryan’s arm. “Do you see that woman with the gray hair, walking with a cane? The one wearing white slacks and a green blouse?”
“Yes, why?” Ryan asked with a frown.<
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“This is the third time I’ve seen her in the last two days,” Cassie said, keeping her voice low so no one else could hear. “The first time I caught her peering in through the window of the neonatal unit.”
“That’s odd,” Ryan agreed.
“It can’t be a coincidence,” Cassie murmured. “Although what is she doing here at city hall? She couldn’t possibly have known I was coming. I only made that decision earlier today.”
“I hope she’s not following you,” Ryan said with a scowl.
Cassie couldn’t deny the thought of this woman following her was creepy. “Ryan, I think she knows something about Emma. I bet she knows Emma’s mother. In fact, she might even be related to the baby in some way.”
“There’s only one way to find out,” Ryan said. “We need to talk to her.”
Cassie nodded. “I agree.”
But when they skirted the parked cars to head over to the sidewalk, the woman wasn’t anywhere in sight.
CHAPTER FIVE
RYAN COULDN’T BELIEVE the woman Cassie had pointed out to him had managed to disappear so quickly. “She must have gotten into a car and driven off,” he muttered in disgust. “There’s no way she could have walked that fast with a cane.”
“You’re right,” Cassie agreed with a frown. “Too bad we didn’t get a glimpse of the car, either.”
“Do you think there’s a chance she’s faking the need for a cane?” he asked. “Maybe there’s more sinister to this woman than we realize.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Cassie argued. “I’ve seen her up close and she definitely isn’t steady on her feet. In fact, she would have fallen down if I hadn’t supported her. I’m sure she’s harmless enough.”
Ryan blew out a heavy breath. “Okay, then, there’s nothing more we can do right now. We don’t even know her name. Although I’d love to talk to her, especially if she really does know something about Emma. If we could validate the mother’s medical history, we’d have a better chance of treating her.”
“I know. Trust me, the next time I see her, I’ll get her name,” Cassie said. “She must be trying to find information about Emma, nothing else makes sense.”
“Probably. Although I don’t like the way she’s latched onto you.”
“I know,” Cassie said with a grimace. “I mean, there are lots of neonatal intensive care nurses—why would she assume I’m the one who might know something about Emma?”
Ryan didn’t like the idea of this woman following Cassie, even if she didn’t pose a physical threat. He frowned, thinking back over the past two days. “Maybe she was in the ER when Emma’s mother dropped her off,” he theorized. “If she was there she would have seen us caring for Emma.”
“Could be,” she agreed. “Or if she was looking through the window of the neonatal unit for a while, she might have watched me taking care of Emma.”
Cassie turned around to head back to her car, so Ryan fell into step beside her. The last thing he wanted to do was to go back to his empty house, which had actually never been a home. Too bad he hadn’t figured that out until it had been too late.
He and Victoria had gotten married too young. Looking back, he knew he’d mistaken lust for love. But he’d tried to make their marriage work. Victoria’s death proved he hadn’t succeeded. More to feel guilty about. Had Victoria loved him in a way he hadn’t been able to love her?
He shook his head to stop the endless round of useless questions. His steps slowed to a stop, and he knew he couldn’t bear to spend the rest of the evening alone. And he hadn’t been lying about his need to keep busy on his post-call day. Maybe Cassie was just the distraction he needed.
“Would you be willing to join me for dinner?” he asked.
She blinked, apparently caught off guard by his offer. “I don’t know. From what I hear, you don’t date nurses from the hospital.”
He tried not to wince. “That’s true. But this isn’t a date, just two people sharing a friendly meal.”
The way Cassie stared at him made him wonder if his nose was growing. Did she see right through his lie? And why was he breaking his cardinal rule now? After months of resisting her?
“I suppose sharing a friendly meal wouldn’t hurt,” she said, although the way she avoided his direct gaze made him realize he could have handled that better.
“Please,” he added. “It’s too nice to spend the evening indoors. And there’s an outdoor café a few blocks from here.” He wanted to rush her over there before she could change her mind.
Before he could change his mind.
He knew only too well the power of gossip. Once the citizens of Cedar Bluff saw them together, there would be no stopping the rumors. Just that thought alone should send him running in the opposite direction.
But he didn’t move. For some reason, he didn’t want to lose the tenuous connection he had with Cassie.
A connection that made him feel alive again.
“Do you think I can leave my car here?” She frowned, glancing around the mostly deserted parking lot. “Or will I get a ticket?”
“You can park here and I’ll walk you back when we’re finished,” he promised. He rested his hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the Sunshine Café, located just a couple of blocks down from city hall. He groaned inwardly when he noticed how crowded the place was, but fate seemed to be working in his favor because when they stepped up to the hostess stand, a couple vacated their seat on the patio.
“We’d like to sit outside, please,” he said, gesturing to the now open table.
She smiled. “Of course. Follow me.”
The hostess led them over to the empty table and he pulled out Cassie’s chair for her, before taking the seat across from her.
“Maria, your server, will be with you shortly,” the hostess said as she placed two menus on the table in front of them. “Enjoy your meal.”
“This is nice,” Cassie said, looking around in awe. “I haven’t eaten here before.”
“The food is excellent and they renovated this area last year to provide more patio seating.”
“It’s beautiful.” She sat up, peering over his shoulder. “Ryan, look! We can see Lake Michigan from here.”
He nodded, glancing over his shoulder and smiling at her enthusiasm. “Yes, the view is part of the charm. What would you like to drink?” he asked, when he noticed their server was headed in their direction. “Wine? Beer? Lemonade?”
“Oh, well, I’m not sure,” she said, looking down at the menu. He loved the way she blushed, her pink cheeks making her even more adorable. “Actually, lemonade sounds great.”
“Sounds good. We’ll start off with two lemonades,” he told the server.
“I’ll get those for you right away,” Maria assured them.
An awkward silence fell once they were left alone, and Ryan tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t sound like they were on a date.
“So tell me, were you busy last night?” she asked.
He glanced up in surprise, not at all accustomed to talking about his job. Victoria hadn’t wanted to know about the situations he’d faced on a daily basis, claiming she couldn’t bear to hear about sick babies. At the time he hadn’t blamed her, but now having Cassie’s interest focused on him made him realize how much he’d missed sharing the important work he did. “There was a delivery about three in the morning that was touch and go for a while. Thankfully the baby survived.”
Cassie’s gaze softened. “I’m so glad. Daniel, right? His warmer is located next to Emma’s. Poor little guy is on a ventilator, too.”
“Yes, that’s right. He was pretty pale at first, but his mother was healthy, so I’m sure he’ll do fine.” He relaxed in his seat, savoring the moment. When had the last time been that he’d simply enjoyed being with someone? He honestly couldn’t remember. “I shouldn’t complain. I managed to get about four hours of sleep before I was needed to head down to the delivery, so it could have been worse.”
> “That’s not much sleep at all,” Cassie protested. “But I understand now why you want to stay up today. I used to do the same thing when I worked the night shift. It’s not easy to get back on a normal sleep schedule, is it?”
“No, it’s not,” he admitted wryly.
Maria returned with their lemonades. After going through their specials, she left them alone to peruse the menu.
“The grilled chicken and almond salad looks delicious,” Cassie said, as she reviewed the selections.
“I’m having the Swiss mushroom burger,” he said. He knew from experience that most women worried too much about what they ate.
“Yeah, you had to point that out, didn’t you?” she said with a groan. “The Swiss mushroom burger sounds delicious. To be honest, I’m really hungry. I skipped lunch so I could fill out the foster-care paperwork.”
“You won’t regret the burger,” he promised, capturing her gaze with his. “And you shouldn’t skip meals, it’s not good for you.”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Trust me, I don’t skip meals very often. Okay, you sold me on the Swiss mushroom burger.” She closed her menu and set it aside.
Maria returned to take their order. He took a sip of his lemonade, liking the way Cassie looked, seated across from him.
“Tell me why you don’t date nurses from the hospital,” Cassie said, her tone deceptively casual.
He winced and set his glass down, surprised by the way she’d gotten straight to the point. “I tried that about a year ago, but things didn’t work out.”
“Hmm,” she said, tipping her head to regard him thoughtfully. “I sense there’s more to that story.”
Ryan didn’t want to admit that he’d been so callous as to want nothing more than sex. And since Cassie was new here, she might not know about his past.
A past that would haunt him forever.